Mock Draft Expert Analysis

Arizona's interest in DeMarco Murray and other running backs proves that coach Bruce Arians and GM Steve Keim know full well that improving at this position is important. Should Arizona not significantly boost its talent in free agency, passing on a three-down back like Gurley seems unlikely - assuming that Arizona is comfortable with his recovery from a torn ACL.

There is a great chance this year's draft has a first round running back, but how high? The Chargers moved on from former first rounder Ryan Mathews and could upgrade with Gurley, the best running back to enter the NFL in several years.

The Trent Richardson experiment probably is over and Gurley balances this offense. A defensive lineman like Arik Armstead could get consideration here, but Gurley would touch the ball 20 times a game for the Colts.

Strengths Weaknesses

STRENGTHS: Built for the NFL with a muscle-bound, physical frame and naturally lowers his pads and squares his shoulders to attack the line of scrimmage and bounce off defenders. He runs with natural balance, power and momentum that makes him tough to slow down, rarely conceding with the first tackler.

Reads the first line of attack very well and senses daylight to hit holes with authority and quickness to stick-and-go, accelerating extremely well in his cuts. Knows how to shift his weight extremely well for a 232-pounder and strings together moves with devastating jump cuts and long strides to eat up yards.

Soft, natural hands out of the backfield and is a willing, cognizant blocker in pass protection.

WEAKNESSES: Bit taller than ideal. Torn ACL in November of 2014 a big red flag that will cause pause for NFL teams with a timetable for return around mid-August. Also missed three games in 2013 due to an ankle injury, so durability concerns are significant, especially considering the physical punishment he has absorbed in the SEC over the past three seasons.

COMPARES TO: Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks -- Like Lynch, Gurley is best known for simply bowling over defenders, but each back's success is also a testament to good vision, surprisingly light feet and balance to bounce off would-be tacklers.

--Rob Rang

Player Overview

When healthy, Gurley has proven he has the unique skill set to warrant first-round consideration. The 6-foot-1, 232-pounder boasts a combination of vision, power and acceleration which earned comparisons to Marshawn Lynch and former All-Pro Jamal Lewis from NFL scouts.

Gurley was in the Heisman conversation in 2014 with 773 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in six games before missing four games due to an NCAA suspension for accepting money for autographs. In his first game back, Gurley suffered a season-ending torn ACL. He still rushed for 911 yards on 7.4 yards per carry in 2014, and finished his Georgia career with 3,285 yards on 6.4 yards per carry and rushed for 36 touchdowns in three seasons. He added 615 receiving yards, six receiving touchdowns and two kickoff return touchdowns.

With youngster Nick Chubb putting up Gurley-like production in his absence, some wonder if both backs aren't benefiting from outstanding offensive-line play at Georgia. The talent at running back could actually allow NFL teams to devalue the position a bit in this draft. In a case of supply and demand, teams could elect to draft other positions, believing a good back like Minnesota's David Cobb could be found in the middle rounds.

03/24/2015 - While the Cincinnati Bengals will not likely be in the market for a running back in the early rounds of the 2015 NFL Draft after adding Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard the past two years, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is impressed with the talent pool at the position this year. NFLDraftScout.com has two running backs currently rated as first round prospects - Georgia's Todd Gurley (No. 18 overall) and Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon, with 10 running backs rated within the top 100 overall. Gurley continues to recover from ACL surgery, and the bulk of his pre-draft process has been focused on the strength of the knee. "He's going to spend a lot of time jumping through hoops but the ACL injury is one that is not as career-ending or career-threatening as it used to be," Lewis said. "The way our medical operations are today guys come back depending on the severity of it. He'll have to do all of those things in order to prove and at some point somebody will think he's right for the value at that pick." - The Sports Xchange